


'Till the Astromech Sings

by saltylikecrait



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Angst, Confessions, F/M, Fandom Bashing, Fluff, Just Lots of Bashing, Operas, Performing Arts, Post-Canon, Story Bashing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-28
Updated: 2020-09-28
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:15:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26631976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saltylikecrait/pseuds/saltylikecrait
Summary: During a performance retelling the events that happened during the war, Rey is faced with the uncomfortable realization that there are some secrets she won't be able to keep.
Relationships: Finn/Rey (Star Wars)
Comments: 25
Kudos: 36
Collections: Finnrey Fanfic Connection





	'Till the Astromech Sings

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kanjiklubgottold](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kanjiklubgottold/gifts).



She wasn’t sure if she looked right.

Well, _right_ maybe wasn’t the word. Maybe she was wondering more if she was _overdressed,_ or, to her horror, possibly _underdressed._

Rey looked at herself in the mirror and tugged at the royal blue fabric cascading down her body. Never in her life had she ever worn something so elegant, so restricting. Richer human women liked to wear fancy dresses like this, she guessed. She had a hard time seeing the appeal of something that was impossible to run in.

But, she thought as she drabbed lightly at her hair, pulled back into a bun and secured with a braid, she looked nice, and this was a special occasion. There was even someone called a _handler_ who went out and got her this dress, though she thought it made her sound like a well-kept pet. Rey knew she should count her lucky stars that someone wanted to dress her up so nicely. Easily, she could have still been on Jakku, half-starved and burned from the sun.

Plus, she wanted to look nice for Finn, since he was here too.

The city of Theed, capital of Naboo, was hosting their annual arts and culture festival, put on hold since the start of the war with the First Order. With the event starting again, Finn and Rey were invited as honorable guests to visit the festival and attend a ballet that retold the events of their heroism. She wondered how anyone knew what had happened to them during the war, no one had asked her, after all. Still, out of politeness, she and Finn felt they needed to go.

Their hosts were most gracious. Finn and Rey got to spend the first day there in luxury, touring the city and eating the finest foods they’ve ever seen. They got to watch an up and coming holo film celebrating the life of Leia Organa, which had been bittersweet. It seemed accurate up to the part about the Resistance, then it explained her son’s death at Luke’s school and her non-existent divorce with Han. While it was true that Leia was a tragic figure, it seemed no one in the audience knew the extent of it.

Rey wondered how accurate the performance was going to be.

A speeder car was waiting outside the hotel for her and Finn. It would take them to the premiere. She took a deep breath, searched through the tiny bag she was given to make sure she had her keys, then left the room.

Outside the hallway, Finn was waiting for her. He looked… dazzling. Whoever his handler was, they must have been in coordination with Rey’s. The fabric of his formal robes matched hers in a celestial royal blue. Accents of gold embellished the robes, giving Finn a regal-like appearance. He was far from the runaway stormtrooper she met on Jakku.

They stared at each other for a moment, both of their eyes wide. Then, in unison, they opened their mouths.

“You look—”

“Wow.”

“Amazing!”

Finn looked flustered. “You look gorgeous, Rey.”

“You look like a prince,” she replied.

Quiet overtook them. They stared at each other again.

Then, it started getting awkward.

“So… maybe we should get going?” Finn suggested. 

As if she had been in a daze, and embarrassed that she had been staring, Rey snapped out of her thoughts. “Oh, umm… yeah. We should.”

The speeder was waiting outside for them. It was possibly the fanciest thing Rey had ever seen. It was long, shiny black, and looked expensive. She’d heard of these before, speeders which were rented out for special events or to transport celebrities.

The driver, a tall human man, opened the door for them to slide into the speeder. The pair looked at each other before sliding inside, Rey trying to figure out the best way to maneuver in her dress. It seemed far too roomy for just two people, but that was the life of the rich and famous, she supposed.

After a short drive, they slowed as a procession line of similar speeders drew closer to the theater. Rey gaped at the elegant, luxurious architecture of Theed. Everything looked so palatial to her, even a simple café looked decadent. Her family was from Naboo and she wondered if to them, this sight had just been the ordinary to them. To a girl from Jakku, this was like something out of a dream.

Slowly, the speeder got closer and closer to the theater. About a block away, a crowd began to gather, cameras flashing as they passed by. Excitement buzzed in the air.

Then, the speeder came to a halt.

This was their big entrance. Right in front of them, a red carpet sprawled out from the start of the walkway down to the entrance of the theater. All they had to do was walk from point A to point B. That should be simple enough, right? 

The moment they stepped outside the speeder, the flashes of light started up. Rey felt herself freeze up, Finn behaving similarly next to her. A sea of people surrounded them, calling to them, waving to them, taking their photos. She had no idea anyone knew who they were prior to the invite, but it felt like the whole galaxy had their eyes on them. Blinded, she reached for Finn’s hand to reassure him.

He squeezed her hand back. She felt him take a deep breath as he offered his arm to her. Not hesitating, she slowly linked her arm with his and bravely took a step forward.

The press and the rest of the crowded grew more excited, chattering loudly while trying to get Finn and Rey’s attention.

Finally, when they were in earshot, a reporter addressed them.

“Miss Rey,” he shouted. “Are the two of you an item?”

She felt herself blink. “Huh?”

“I think he means to ask if we’re _together,”_ Finn emphasized before going quiet again.

Her heart felt like it was in her throat. Should she answer? How would she answer? Awkwardly, she looked to Finn for help.

Shrugging, he kept walking. “Probably best if we just ignore them,” he observed. “If they want an interview, Poe told me they should schedule them and clear the questions with us first.”

“Oh, that makes sense,” she agreed, though she kept wondering how she should answer the reporter’s question if it should ever come up again. Most of that was for the sake of gossip, she was sure, even the Resistance had people sticking their nose in other’s business out of curiosity and for entertainment. No, what was eating at her was that even she didn’t know how to describe the relationship she had with Finn. Friends? Sure, but they seemed much closer than that. Brother and sister? Not really, if anyone was a brother to her, it would have been Kylo.

…He was more of an antagonizing brother through the Force than anything else. She would have hoped if she had actual siblings, they wouldn’t have been trying to kill each other every other day of the week.

A man they didn't recognize waved them down with a huge smile on his face. Human, with red hair and a clean beard, he seemed friendly enough. He reached out to shake Finn and Rey's hands.

"Ah, the heroes of the hour. It's wonderful to meet you. I'm Jian Rhon: director. Perhaps you've heard of me? I've had a few successes with HoloFilms, but this is my first stage production.

He ranted on for a while more, name-dropping his films and discussing how great the stage show was going to be, though Rey thought it was more on behalf of the reporters who were listening in than it was for them. Actually, she was finding him to be getting on her nerves.

Then, they were all asked to pose with each other for a photo opportunity. First, they stood together as a group, followed by individual photos. Finn posed with Jian first, then it was Rey's turn.

"How'd you learn about our stories?" she asked him since he was in earshot. "I was not aware anyone knew the full extent of what had happened to Finn and me during the war."

Jian chuckled. "I bet you're worried about how we'll handle certain people and events, huh?" he guessed. He patted her on the shoulder roughly. "Don't worry, my source, who wishes to remain anonymous, gave me all the details. Your story is in safe hands."

That didn't exactly give her a peace of mind, but with everything going on around her, Rey was finding it hard to concentrate. Perhaps she should just sit back and enjoy the show. She had never seen a stage performance before, after all.

Finally, they made it to the end of the carpet. An usher took their tickets before handing them programs and leading them inside, where the flashes of camera no longer would bother them.

They were taken to a private box on the first floor of the balcony, sitting directly to the right of the stage. Here, they would have bird’s eye view of the stage. The seats were plush, cushioned with red velvet. Rey wished she could have snacks with her, but she knew that was considered rude in such a fancy place like this.

The audience gradually drifted inside. A few people Rey recognized from popular holos, but most seemed to be from the theater crowd. Finn had the same issue; there were a few familiar faces, but none that really grabbed his attention. From what they’d heard, the director was the current darling of the stage, even though he had only a few smaller-budget productions under his belt.

Finn was very interested in the program, however, and scanned the first pages. “How’d they learn about what happened during the war?” he asked.

“I was wondering the same thing,” she replied. “No one ever called me. Jian said he had a source, but didn't say who.”

Before they could dig in deeper into their programs, however, the lights dimmed. Even though they had never been to a theater production, they knew that meant the show was about to begin. A hushed excitement fell over the audience.

A Gungan walked out on to the stage, to the applause of the audience. He held a long metal rod in his hands. Then, he walked down the steps of the stage into the orchestra pit. He must be the conductor, then, Rey mused. It’s not like she would have known prior.

A moment of silence passed through the theater as the baton in the conductor’s hand was raised. With a flick of his wrist, he led the orchestra to begin the first notes of the overture.

The final note of the arrangement led to the opening of the crimson curtain. The scene began with an artistic backdrop of beige-pink sand dunes and blue skies. Rey realized she was staring at a depiction of Jakku, feeling her eyes get dewy as a strange sense of nostalgia sat in.

A small group of people dressed as stormtroopers entered, followed by another group of ragged looking scavengers. The leader of the stormtroopers, a tall person in metallic armor, pointed to the scavengers, ordering the troops to kill.

The stormtroopers drew their weapons, the scavengers doing the same in response. Next to her, she felt Finn shift uncomfortably in his seat. A drum beat in a particular rhythm as the dancers fell gracefully to the floor, each beat representing a blaster shot.

At stage right, she spotted another stormtrooper staggering into the fray. A stormtrooper fell to the ground at the feet of the newcomer. He reached out to his companion, who leaned over to comfort his dying comrade. 

The dying stormtrooper’s fingers touched the other’s helmet, leaving three red streaks in its wake: blood. The stormtrooper sang in a low baritone, lamenting his fallen friend and the terrors of war.

Finn swore under his breath. “How’d they know about this?”

"Wait,” Rey whispered, “are you saying the thing with the blood actually happened?” She knew about Slip’s tragic end, but Finn had never said anything about blood.

He nodded. Sucking in air, Rey slumped into her seat. If they were able to dig up this tiny detail of Finn’s, who knew what was in store for her?

A cloud of smoke filled the stage; a dark figure emerged from it. Cloaked in black, the helmeted figure was unmistakably Kylo Ren. She wondered how much about him the show would discuss.

The man lifted his hands and the battle came to a halt as all the scavengers but one fell to the ground. This dancer, dressed in a pilot jacket, must be Poe Dameron. He was dragged away by Kylo, the stormtroopers following behind. Rey didn’t have to look to Finn to know that was accurate.

The music changed to something less ominous, softer. The lighting grew brighter.

A woman in a short, flowing, wrap tunic entered the stage. Holding a piece of scrap metal in her hands, she danced gracefully and joyfully, singing this time of working in the Jakku graveyard in a lovely mezzo-soprano. When she turned, Rey spotted her hair in three buns.

“Is that supposed to be me?” she whispered to Finn.

“I… think so?”

She felt herself cross her arms. “She looks nothing like me,” she huffed. “She’s just so…”

“Girly?” Finn suggested.

“Yeah!” Briefly, she wondered if she should feel insulted, but really, she wasn’t the most outwardly feminine of women. She shook off the feeling. “And what’s with this song? Are they implying being a scavenger is _fun and happy?”_

Finn only shrugged again, not having an answer for her. She sat back in her seat, arms still crossed, and continued watching. 

The scenes moved smoothly between each other. The Finn actor—who was far too tall, in Finn’s own opinion—cleverly sidestepped Captain Phasma, Kylo Ren, and a group of stormtroopers as he heroically freed Poe Dameron and the two escaped to freedom. In a heartwarming scene, Rey met BB-8, played by an actual droid, and made her first friend.

In the next scene change, a constructed TIE replica was towed in, more smoke emitting from the cockpit. The Finn actor searched for Poe, but could only find the pilot jacket. Heartbroken, he put the jacket on and moved away, the scene shifting to Niima Outpost.

He ran right into the Rey actress. The droid rolled around Finn, prompting Rey to give chase and use her quarterstaff to trip him. With a graceful spin, Finn fell to the ground before he halted Rey and BB-8, miming what happened to Poe.

The droid sadly tilted its head before rolling off stage, leaving Finn and Rey to introduce themselves. They performed a duet together, Finn nervously, Rey playfully. While Finn was telling her about his role in the Resistance, he would stare at the audience and explain his stupidity for lying, but he wanted to impress this girl he just met. All the while, Rey was signing about how she had never met a Resistance fighter before (and this one was pretty handsome).

“I like this part,” the real Finn chuckled.

“Me too,” Rey agreed.

The dance was short, however, as a pair of stormtroopers spotted them and gave chase. Following after BB-8, the pair exited stage right and the screen of the backdrop changed to show a miniscule replica of the _Millennium Falcon_ zooming across.

What came next retold their adventures accurately. They met Han and Chewbacca, were cornered by gangs and narrowly escaped being eaten by rathtars, they went to Takodana and met Maz. Rey found the old Skywalker lightsaber.

It got really strange from there, however. Particularly when Kylo Ren first encountered Rey.

Ren stalked the Rey actress around the stage, finally meeting her face to face. Stuck in place, Rey struggled to get away as Ren circled her. The music then changed from sinister to something softer. It was odd to the ears.

Dramatically, Rey fell to the ground, scooped up by Kylo who walked away with her in his arms as Finn ran after them. 

The next scene took them to the Resistance base, where BB-8 had a heartfelt reunion with Poe, only for the human to spot Finn and embrace the other man. There was something… off about this scene too to Rey, but she said nothing.

After that, everything when south. The Rey actress woke in an integration chair—which made the real Rey relive some bad memories—with Kylo Ren looming nearby. They struggled against one another, fighting as Kylo tried to read her mind.

She demanded him to take off his helmet and he complied. He flipped his dark hair back and shot her a smile...

Then, the singer swooned, holding her hands over her heart as she sang about the villain's attractiveness.

Rey scowled. “That didn’t happen! I was being tortured!”

Snorting, Finn patted her hand to try to calm her. “What? Kylo wasn’t the prince charming he was here?” he teased. “No swooning?”

“Nothing swoon-worthy about being tortured.”

The actress used the “Force” by waving her hands in front of Kylo to push him back. At least they were showing her fighting back, Rey told herself. She wasn’t being depicted as this totally helpless, overly feminine heroine.

It just got worse from there. 

When the Han character encountered Kylo, she knew what was coming. They approached each other, Han begging his son to come home in a deep, emotional bass. There were a few gasps in the audience over this reveal. It was not well known who Kylo Ren really was, Rey was even surprised this was uncovered. For years, Leia had told everyone her son had died in the tragic incident that wiped out Luke’s school.

Then, something strange happened again. While the two men argued, one asking the other to come home while the other was torn between that and staying, the Han actor grabbed Kylo’s lightsaber away. He ignited the saber, touching his son’s cheek again.

With a quick flick of his arms, Han then… stabbed himself with the lightsaber before falling to the ground.

This time, Finn was growling before Rey. “That wasn’t what happened!” he hissed.

“What should we do?” Rey asked, not sure how to behave in this kind of situation. “Leave?”

He shrugged. “Maybe during intermission?” Finn suggested. “So we don’t draw attention to ourselves?”

“We’re the guests of honor,” she reminded him. “Leaving will draw attention, no matter when we do it.” Groaning, she squeezed her hands together. “Maybe we should just suck it up and stay for the whole show…” She could just imagine what the stories would be the next day. No, Rey really didn’t want that kind of attention.

So, they stayed for the next act, wondering what horrors they were in for. Or at least, they hoped the inaccuracies ended there. The lightsaber fight was correct. Maybe it would get better from here.

Of course it didn’t.

Again, the act didn’t start out so bad. A chorus dressed as the Resistance explained the situation surrounding the act: how they were surrounded by the First Order who was tracking them through hyperspace. The Resistance was experiencing massive losses.

The curtain drew open to a rendition of Ahch-To, where the Rey actress encountered a false-bearded Luke Skywalker. She offered him the lightsaber, only for him to snatch it away from her and angrily throw it across the stage.

Well, that sort of happened. She would give that a pass.

The start of the second act was largely accurate. Finn woke from his coma and tried to leave the Resistance, hoping to find Rey again, only to be stopped by Rose Tico. She approached Finn, tasing him to the floor.

The audience chuckled, leaving Rey feeling mortified. Finn had just injured his back and awoke from a coma, Rose could have seriously hurt him, and they were laughing at him? What was wrong with everyone?

Her fists clenched again, but Finn placed his hand over them. “It’s probably for the best if we don’t react,” he advised, though she saw a spark of sadness in his eyes. “Less questions from them later, right?”

She sighed, but she knew he was right. After this, they both wanted to be left alone. So far, this performance had been questionable at best and she hoped the rest of it would pass by quickly.

Then, the story got to a point that she’d rather forget. The bond.

She really wanted to know how anyone knew about this. Only a few people she was close to understood what had connected her to Kylo Ren. Yet here this production was, showing them in close proximity to each other. That was an intimate, private moment of her life. Shame, regret, and longing to change the past ran through her whenever she thought about those early moments when she first connected with him through the Force: her brother, her enemy.

It just was so awkward to watch. Especially when it came to the time she happened on Kylo half-dressed.

“Did this happen?” Finn laughed. When she nodded, he just laughed harder. “Sorry,” he breathed. “It’s just… the high-waisted pants…”

Snorting, she placed her hands over her mouth to try to muffle her sounds. “I know, right? I told him to put on some clothes. He looked so disproportionate in them and so—”

“Pale,” they said in unison. Grinning at each other, they tried not to laugh too loud.

Well, as terrible as it was, Rey thought that perhaps if she and Finn made a joke of the performance, the time would pass quicker.

But then, she had to sink into the uncomfortable truth: this was painting her in Kylo in a romantic light and was revealing her intention to try to bring Ben Solo back to the light. In hindsight, it was just an idea she enacted out of desperation. She’d hoped if she could turn him back to the right side, she would weaken the First Order enough to end the war before it had even begun.

Of course, that idea didn’t pan out. Ren refused her wish and Rey was forced to continue on as the last Jedi in the galaxy.

And then, possibly the worst thing came up.

She had never thought the throne room could be rendered so awkwardly, but that’s exactly what happened. The crimson backdrop hurt the eyes a little, and the rest of the scenery was bare and gaudy. It was rather boring for a set, actually.

No, what was awkward was the odd dance number of the scene. The Rey and Kylo actors were scantly clothed… for some reason. The music was heavy in beat, low-toned and rhythmic compared to the other music so far... And was that moaning?

The dancers then began moving provocatively against one another. Rey felt uncomfortable watching this display. One, it felt like something that was forbidden to be seen by public eyes, but also, the way it portrayed her and Kylo… it was far from the truth.

Finn shifted again, before digging out his program. He flipped through pages before he stopped at one in particular, squinting though the dim light to read. His face screwed up into disgust.

“What?” Rey whispered, dreading his response.

He pointed to a section on the page and handed it to her. Doing her best to read the print, she was pretty sure she mirrored his expression.

_In a scene the director found particularly emotionally stirring, the throne room is depicted as one of sexual awakening between the two heroes. The red, a symbol of virgin blood and the womb, and the lightsabers, phallic imagery, show the two coming together not just as allies, but as soulmates._

Rey felt like she was about to vomit. Glancing at Finn, he nodded.

“Wanna go?”

She handed Finn his program back before grabbing her own. Taking a moment to shuffle through the program one more time, she found the synopsis and took a deep breath as she scanned the contents.

From here on out, it was going to be a full love fest between Rey and Kylo, with Finn mysteriously absent for most of the plot. Somehow, he ended up with both Poe and Rose Tico as romantic partners, but everything from his Force-sensitivity to his friendship with Rey was written out.

But Kylo, for whatever the reason, was depicted as this brooding romantic hero, his actions an effort to bring the galaxy back to peace and order. It ignored the mass extermination of worlds under the First Order, their use of child soldiers. Was the director a First Order sympathizer? Rey was growing suspicious.

In the end, the story would have Kylo sacrifice his life for Rey, sharing one passionate kiss before he died. Rey would end up alone on Tatooine, a widow and pregnant with his child, conceived through the Force.

Kriff, what did she just read?

She couldn’t stand to be there any longer. Getting up, she left her seat and exited the balcony, Finn following her. Outside, she ripped up her program into pieces and threw it in the nearest trash bin.

"When I get my hands on that Jian Rhon," she growled, "I'm gonna skewer him on the other end of my lightsaber!"

“Get in line," Finn grunted, before his frustration turned into a teasing smile. "So sorry for your loss, but how come you’ve never introduced me to your magical Force child?”

“And how about you, Poe, _and_ Rose?” she shot back. “Damn, Finn. Can I get in on that?”

Realizing what she said, Rey felt a blush on her face and she tried to look away before they chuckled in unison.

“What was that whole thing with you and Kylo all about anyway?” he started as they walked out of the theater hall. A few of the press spotted them, running towards them to ask questions about their sudden departure, but they ignored them. “Sucking face with him like it’s some romantic last kiss.”

“What I want to know is how anyone found out about it,” Rey grunted, wincing when she felt Finn halt in his step. Moment of truth, then. She had never told him about that part, her heart wishing she could forget it and pretend it never happened.

“Wait, that—?”

She nodded, before turning to look him in the eye sadly. “I told you he brought me back in the end, but I never told you I kissed him. To be honest, I really wish I could forget that too."

Never in her life had Finn looked so heartbroken. “But why?” That was all he managed to say, his voice hoarse.

Shrugging, she continued. “I’m not really sure either. Gratitude, I guess. I didn’t want to die and I was grateful he was willing to make that sacrifice for me. Surprised too. We had… a weird connection between us. I’m still not sure what to make of it either. When he died, it was like losing a brother I never knew.”

There was silence between them again. Disappointment filled Finn’s expression. “And if he lived?” She saw Finn swallow hard. “Would you have wanted to be with him?”

“No,” she answered honestly. “I don’t know how to explain what I felt for him to you, Finn, but I want you to know, I never felt for him that way. Part of me wishes I could have known Ben Solo before he turned, but then I realize that probably wouldn’t have changed anything. Everything I did to try to bring him back to the light, it was because I hoped it would finally bring an end to all the fighting. By the time Palpatine died, I was so tired and desperate for it to be over.”

She wanted to tell Finn what she really felt for him, that every time he was with her, her heart beat just a little faster and felt a little less heavy. Only he made her feel like that. However, his expression told her this wasn’t the time. All Rey could do is hope he would forgive her, though even she couldn’t forgive herself most days. She often wished she had never discovered she could use the Force or had ever met Kylo Ren, but fate had a different plan for her. Everything had ended up so complicated.

Finn wouldn’t look at her in the eyes now. All she could sense from him was anger and hurt.

“Please say something, Finn,” she begged.

He sighed. “It’s fine,” he told her, but she could tell it wasn’t. “You’re allowed to kiss whoever you want.” Running his hand through his hair, he started walking again. “Let’s get dinner.”

This time, Rey was the one to stand still. She wanted to make this right, but she didn’t know how.

“You’re the only person I’ve ever wanted to share my life with,” she told him, honestly. Now that she was saying it, it didn’t feel right. This wasn’t the moment she had imagined.

Nodding, he turned back to her, distance between them. “I know,” he answered. “But…”

“Now’s not the time,” she guessed.

“It’s not the time,” he agreed. “Maybe later, but not now.” But then, he smiled, even if it appeared forced. “But let’s still get that dinner.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to kanjiklubgottold for the prompt! With all the... general oddness of a certain part of the fandom, writing this was pretty easy!


End file.
